Updated September 25, 1998

A list of innovative principles

• 1 Segmentation (Fragmentation)
  
• 2 Separation (Taking out, Extracting)
  
• 3 Local quality
  
• 4 Symmetry change (Asymmetry)
  
• 5 Merging (Consolidation)
  
• 6 Multifunctionality (Universality)
• 7 "Nested doll" (Nesting, "Matreshka")
  
• 8 Weight compensation (Anti-weight, Counterweight)
  
• 9 Preliminary counteraction (Preliminary anti-action, Prior Counteraction)
  
• 10 Preliminary action (Prior Action, Do it advance)
  
  
• 11 Beforehand compensation (Beforehand cushioning, Cushion in Advance)
  
• 12 Equipotentiality
  
• 13 "The other way around" (Do It in Reverse, Do it inversely)
  
• 14 Curvature increase (Spheroidality, Spehroidality - Curvature)
  
• 15 Dynamic parts (Dynamicity, Dynamization, Dynamics)
  
• 16 Partial or excessive actions (Do a little less)
  
• 17 Dimensionality change (Another dimension)
  
• 18 Mechanical vibration
  
• 19 Periodic action
  
• 20 Continuity of useful action
  
  
• 21 Hurrying (Skipping, Rushing Through)
  
• 22 "Blessing in disguise" (Convert Harm into Benefit)
  
• 23 Feedback
  
• 24 Intermediary (Mediator)
  
• 25 Self-service
  
• 26 Copying
  
• 27 Cheap disposables
  
• 28 Mechanical interaction substitution (Replacement of Mechanical System)
  
• 29 Pneumatics and hydraulics
  
• 30 Flexible shells and thin films
  
  
• 31 Porous materials
  
• 32 Optical property changes (Changing the Color)
  
• 33 Homogeneity
  
• 34 Discarding and recovering
  
• 35 Parameter changes (Transformation of Properties)
  
• 36 Phase transitions
  
• 37 Thermal expansion (Heat expansion)
  
• 38 Strong oxidants (Accelerated Oxidation)
  
• 39 Inert atmosphere (Inert Environment)
  
• 40 Composite materials
  

Descriptions of innovative principles

A. Divide an object into independent parts

• Instead of one big robot several small ones can be used. A mini-robot Hutman
  (Helsinki University of Technology`s Mobile Autonomous Navigator) is
  designed to work as a member of a robot community.
• Enzymes offer a "biological" method for achieving the necessary texture and look of
  stonewashed denim without the need for stones
  (Ecostone enzymes of the company Primalco).

B. Make an object easy to disassamble

• A kitchen easy to reassamble, for example adjustable height.
  

C. Increase the degree of fragmentation of an object

• Water atomized to mist instead of big drops can be used for extinguishing
  of fire. Much less water is needed ( companies Marioff Hi-fog and Softonex).
  

A. Separate an "interfering" part (or property) from object, or single out
the only necessary part or property) of an object

• Central heating. District heating. District cooling. The useful property:
  temperature, is present, the machinery is located outside.
  
• Distance training: the teacher is not present, but his/her texts, voice, or
  video image
  

A. Change the object from uniform to non-uniform. Make different parts
to deliver different functions. Compare opposite trend 6: multifunctionality,
universality

• Multi-purpose harvesters for logging wood

4 Symmetry change (Asymmetry)

A. Change the shape of an object from symmetrical to asymmetrica

• Asymmetric scissors are more handy (Fiskars´ Classic)
  
• A multi-purpoce icebreaker Fennica has an asymmetrical bridge. Traditionally
  the ship is steered from the middle line of a hull. The new brigde has
  the steering from the one side (as in the car). Visibility is better and
  only one person is needed for steering.
  
  

• Increasingly asymmetric piston forms in engines. For example:
  An asymmetric piston in Renault Mégane, and yet more asymmetric
  one in the GDI engine of Mitsubishi.
  

A. Bring closer together (or merge) identical of similar objects, assemble identical
or similar parts to perform parallel operations

• Parallel interface connector and pin assignments, for example between a
  computer and a printer
  

B. Make operations contiguous or parallel; bring them together in time

• Innovations that bring together the mechanical dewatering (pressing) and
  thermal drying of paper together: impulse technology (pressing in
  higher-than-normal temperatures), and Condebelt-technology (Valmet,
  drying between two steel belts subjected to high pressure).
  

A. Make a part of object perform multiple functions; eliminate the need for,
other parts

• Communicator Nokia 9000 combines telephone, fax, e-mail, internet,
  intranet, text messages, diary, address book etc. into one device.
  
• ABB´s Thermonet combines heating, ventilation and cooling into one
  system, instead three separate ones.
  
• There are engine designs that combine the flywheel, alternator and starter
  into a single component (Opel, Citroen, Toyota, and others).

Place one object inside another; place each object, in turn, inside the other.
Make one part pass through a cavity in the other

• The double hull in the oil tankers.
  
• The accleration sensor is placed inside a paper roll. One can monitor
  damages during transport.
  

A. To compensate for the weight of an object, merge it with other objects that provide lift

• Floating houses. There are plans to build floating cities
  

• Use of air cushion in vehicles and for moving heavy components
  

A. Perform, before it is needed, the required change of an object
(either fully or partially)

• A pneumatic accumulator for lubricating the engine before the start.
  Compare with a heater for the preliminary heating of the
  engine before the start.

B. Create beforehand stresses in an object that will oppose known undesirable working
stresses later on

• An idea to machine big rolls of paper machinery with a systematic "error" that
  compensates the opposite deformation during assembly.
  

A. Perform, berofe it is needed, the required change of an object
(either fully or partially)

• Preliminary perforated package is easy to open
  

• Pre-cut parts for the building of wooden houses
  

A. Prepare emergency means beforehand to compensate for the relatively low
reliability of an object

• Explosion valves in boilers
  

A. Limit position changes (e. g. the need to raise or lower objects)

• The transparent factory. High shelving is not used in production.

A. Invert the action(s) used to solve the problem (e. g. instead of cooling
the object heat it)

• District heating is used in Northern countries tens of years. District
  cooling is introduced only last time (ABB).

B. Make movable parts (or the external environment) fixed, and fixed parts movable

• New drives for elevators (for examle Nippon Otis and Kone) contain
  a fixed "rotor" and movable "stator" (that part of the motor that does not
  normally move).

C. Turn the object (or process) "upside down"

• Kvaerner Masa-Yards and ABB have developed a ship that breaks ice with a stern,
  going backwards. The ship has a usual head and goes forwards in open water.
  The example also demonstrates Principle 3: Local quality.

A. Instead of using rectilinear parts, surfaces, or forms, use curvilinear ones
ympyräpintoihin; kuutioista ja särmiöistä pallomaisiin rakenteisiin.

• A banana form of a mobile telephone
  

• The geodesic dome of Buckminster Fuller. Benefits: lightness,
  strengh and good manufacturability.
  

• A rotating grate, instead of a fixed or chain grate, allow to (
  burn more wet fuel.

A. Allow (or design) the characteristics of an object, external environment, or
process to change to be optimal or to find an optimal operating condition

• Traffic signals, changing in dependence from weather and the intensity
  of traffic
  

B. Divide an object into parts capable of movement relative to each other

• Saab is experimenting a cylinder block consisting of two parts capable of
  movement relative to each other. The volume of a chamber can be changed.
  

C. If an object is (or process) is rigid or or inflexible, make it movable or adaptive

• The dynamization of a car: four-wheel steering, changing road clearance
  

A. If 100 percent of object is hard to achieve using a given solution method then, by
using "slightly less" of "slightly more" of the same method, the problem may be
considerably easier to solve

• Preliminary perforated packages are more easy to opern
  

A. To move an object in two- or three-dimensional space

• Molok is the trade mark for a new solid waste collector that extends
  vertically into the ground. Only 40 per cent of the collector is visible.
  

B. Use a multi-story arrangement of objects instead of a single-story arrangement

• Use of underground tunnels and buildings is increasing. At the same time
  will be more and more high buildings, multilevel highways and overpasses.
  A multi-storey city is evolving.

C. Tilt or re-orient the object, lay it on its side

• Tilted solar collector, solar cells with tilted surface
  

D. Use "another side" of a given area

• The upper side of a house: Gardens, a roof as a solar collector
  

18 Mechanical vibration

A. Cause on object to oscillate of vibrate

• The vibration of a mobile telephone instead of voice alarm.
  

B. Increase its frequency (even up to the ultrasonic)

• Improved frequency convertes allow to use high speeds in electrical
  drives. A new generation of high speed technology is evolving.
  For example: small and light pumps, compressors and energy
  converters
  

C. Use an object´s resonance frequency

• Human organs has resonance frequency too. The vibrating, "acoustic"
  chair user the resonance for medical treatment.

D. Use piezoelectric vibrators instead of mechanical ones

• Piezoelectric ultrasonic motors e. g. in cameras
  

E. Use combined ultrasonic and electromagnetic field oscillations

• Electroacoustic filtration. Recearchers claim that the filtration efficiency
  can be increased even 7-10 times compared with conventional filtration.
  

A. Instead of continuous action, use periodic or pulsating actions

• Changing character of manufacturing. Small, customized series
  instead of long series
  

B. If an action is already periodic, change the periodic magnitude or frequency

• Change from small series to totally individual production
  

C. Use pauses between impulses to perform a different action

• Bomb shelters can be used as facilities for sport in peace time
  

A. Carry on work continuously: make all parts of an object work at full load

• Continuous casting of steel and other metals
  

B. Eliminate all idle or intermittent actions or work

• Use the extra electrical power for heating in night
  

A. Conduct a process, or certain stages (e. g. destructible, harmful or
hazardous operations) at high speed

• The conventional technology of drying wood: the drying time is one week and
  maximal temperature 90 degC (194 F). New technology: one
  day and maximal temperature 250 degC (482 F)

A. Use harmful factors (particularly, harmful effects of the environment or)
surroundings) to achieve a positive effect

• Welding stresses, usually harmful, can sometimes be used to fix
  components
  
• Electrical charges that are usually harmful, can be used for the control
  of process (for example the control of grinding)
  

B. Eliminate the primary harmful action by adding it to another harmful action
to resolve the problem

• Many people like the taste of common salt or NaCl. Unfortenately
  NaCl has harmful side effects. It is one cause of hypertension. Potassium
  chlorid KCl is healthy, but has a disgusting taste. The salt containing both
  salts, 50...60 % NaCl and 30...40 % KCl, is more healthy and has the same
  taste as NaCl.
  

C. Amplify a harmful factor to such a degree that it is no longer harmful

• Oxygen, mixed with gasoline mist can cause an explosion
  Increasing the amount of oxygen the mixture can be diluted and
  will not explode any more.
  

A. Introduce (referring back, cross-checking) to improve a process or action

• Introduction of measurements and control
• Introducing quality control after the production line
  

B. If feedback is already used, change its magnitude of influence

• On-line measurements an on-line control
• Immeadiate quality control on the production line
  
  

A. Use an intermediary carrier article or intermediary process

• Transforming analogical information (e. g. voice) to digital one and
  then anew to analogical form
  

B. Merge one object temporarily with another (which can be easily removed)

• Ice can be used for temporary fixation of small components.
  
  

A. Make an object serve itself by performing auxiliary helpful functions

• The tire repairing itself. For example "Magic Seal" is a liquid that
  is sprayed inside tire and fills the hole when needed.
  

B. Use waste resources, energy, or substances

• Krepro process, developed by the company Kemwater. In the process
  four products can be recovered from sludge: a phosphorous fraction
  (fertilizer), an organic fraction (biofuel), precipitation chemicals
  (recycled into the the waste water treatmen), and carbon source
  (water treatment, biogas).

A. Instead of an unavailable, expensive, fragile object, use simpler and
inexpensive copies

• Virtual prototypes instead of physical ones
  

B. Replace an object, or process with optical copies

• Holography instead of real object
  

• Detecting infrared radiation instead of monitoring by a human eye (e. g. seeking
  people wandered off, locating heat losses)
  

A. Replace an inexpensive object with a multiple of inexpensive objects, comprising
certain qualities (such as service life, for instance)

• Disposable paper filter for cooking coffee
  

A. Replace mechanical means with a sensory (optical, acoustic, taste or smell) means

• AGA has developed "odorous oxygen" or oxygen with odorous additive - Odorox.
  Leaks are easy to detect.

B. Use electric, magnetic and electromagnetic fields to interact with the object

• Contactless magnetic bearings, e. g. in high-speed motors (20,000 - 400,000 rpm)

C. Change from static to movable fields, from unstructured fields to those having structure

• An electrical precipitator (for removing dust) can be made more effective using
  pulsed electric field.
  

D. Use fields with conjunction with field-activated (e. g. ferromagnetic)
particles

• Electro Mechanical Film (EMF) consists of metallic and polypropylen films.
  Polypropylen has a permanent electric charge. Mechanical movement changes
  the charge, and the charge moves the film. Applications: microphones,
  amplifiers, smart floors, etc.

A. Use gas and liquid parts of an object instead of solid parts (e. g. inflatable,
filled with liquids, air cushion, hydrostatic, hydro-reactive)

• Air house

30 Flexible shells and thin films

A. Use flexible shells and thin films instead of three dimensional structures

• Flexible polymer material can be used in some heat exhangers instead of
  metal, for example in the plants for leachate treatment (company Hadwaco)
  

B. Isolate the object from the external environment using flexible shells and thin films

• The Neste Group in Finland and two French companies have developed
  biodegradable poly (lactid acid) polymers. One application: mulching webs
  in agriculture.
  

A. Make an object porous or add porous elements (inserts, coatings, etc.)

• Foamed metals
  
• A web in the paper machine
  

B. If an object is already porous, use the pores to introduce a useful substance
or function

• In the Condebelt-dryer (see example 5: Merging) water vaporizes
  and condenses inside porous webs (compare: heat pipe)
• Outokumpu Mintec has developed a ceramic filter made from
  hydrophilic porous sintered alumina material. Air never passes
  through the filter plate, as in the conventional vacuum filter.
  Energy consumption will decrease.

A. Change the color of an object or its external environment

• Bioluminescense. Some organisms, as a firefly (Photinus pyralis) and
  Escheridia coli - bacterium, produce visible light. Enzymes producing
  light can be used e. g. for detecting impurities in food.
  

• A low-emissivity glass window is like a heat mirror that lets visible
  light through while blocking thermal radiation (company EGLAS ).

33 Homogeneity

A. Make objects interacting with a given object of the same material
(or material with identical properties)

• The product that is separated is often used as filter material. The cake
  of product on the clothe works as a filter.
  

34 Discarding and recovering

A. Make portions of an object that have fulfilled their functions go away
(discard by dissolving, evaporating, etc.) or modify these during operation

• Biodegradable materials in medicine. Polylactides are used to make dissolvable
  screws and pins. They can replace titanium screws used by surgeons to mend
  broken bones. The secong operation for the removal of screws is not needed.
  

B. Conversely, restore consumable parts of an object directly in operation

• The tread of tire that restores the edges of tread blocks when the tire wears.
  

35 Parameter changes (Transformation of Properties)

A. Change an object´s physical state (e. g. to a gas, liquid, solid)

• A Finnish company Laatumaalit has developed powder paints that
  combine the performance of modern latex and silicon-based emulsions
  with the convenience of the powder. Powders are easy to store and
  transport. To get ready paint only water is added.
  

B. Change the concentrarion or consistency

• Concentration of washing materials removing water, air, and auxiliary substances.
  

C. Change the degree of flexibility

• Adding waste polymers to asphalt the surface of a road can be made
  more elastic. The road wears out less.
  

• Cleaning surface by dry ice (solid carbon dioxide) in the temperature
  - 79 degC ( - 174 F ). Impurities will get frozen immediately, contract,
  and loosen easily. The same example illustrates Principles 21: Hurrying, and
  Principle 36: Phase transitions
  

• Freezing of wood. Some Finnish forest companies has begun to freeze
  wood, logged in winter, for the use in summer. Fresh wood will be
  available in summer, too.
  

A. Use phenomena occurring during phase transition (e. g. volume changes, loss or
absorption of heat)

• Blasting with solid carbon dioxide. Impurities will freeze immediately, contract,
  and loosen easily. The same example illustrates Principles 21: Hurrying, and
  Principle 35: Parameter changes
  

A. Use thermal expansion (or contraction) of materials

• Welding stressies caused by thermal expansion can sometimes be used
  to fix components. See also Principle 22: "Blessing in disguise"
  

B. If thermal expansion is beiing used, use multiple materials with different
coefficients of thermal expansion

• Bimetall constructions
  

38 Strong oxidants (Accelerated Oxidation)

A. Replace common air with oxygen-enriched air

• There are ideas to improve combustion using oxygen-enriched air
  

B. Replace enriched air with pure oxygen

• Wounds can be healed better exposing them to oxygen.
  
• Use of oxygen for bleaching of pulp (for paper production)
  

C. Expose air of oxygen to ionizing radiation

• Ionizing oxygen for the measurement of its concentration

D. Use ionized oxygen

• Purificication devices that ionize air for collecting impurities
  

E. Replace ozonized (or ionized) oxygen with ozone

• Ideas and experiments to use ozon for bleaching of pulp (for paper
  production)

A. Replace a normal environment with an inert one

• A Finnish inventor proposed to use a welding device as an fire extinguisher,
  too. A device is provided with a simple system that can blast inert gas
  (as carbon dioxide or argon) with high pressure.
  

B. Add neutral parts, or inert additives to an object

• Antipyrenes can be introduced to polymer. Antipyrenes are
  substances that improve fire-resistance producing protective
  films on the surface layer.
  

A. Change from uniform to composite (multiple) materials

• A Finnish company Fibrocom has developed the composite reinforced
  three-dimensionally. Reinforcing material goes continuously from the
  the one side to another. Benefits: light, stiff and easy to form at the sam time.
  
• Wood is a natural composite with tubes of cellulose in a matrix of lignin.
  

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